What do we see?
We can consider the sum of the amount of litter cleared and waste correctly deposited in street bins as the best available approximation of the total amount of out-of-home waste generated. Over the measurement period from 2015 to 2019, out-of-home waste increased by almost 9% to a total of 29.8 kilotonnes. It was highest in 2019, at 36.2 kilotonnes. This is an indication of increasing litter pressure. However, we do see a decrease in the amount of litter cleared from the ground (-11%) and an increase in the proportion of out-of-home waste ending up in street bins: 26% of the total in 2015, 39% in 2021.
What’s the aim?
In a circular economy, we want to see the amount of waste reduced, and the waste that does arise we want to valorise as much as possible. For both litter and waste in street bins, there is still very little valorisation possible. For out-of-home waste, street bins are obviously the preferred destination if selective collection proves impossible, as a protection against further spreading of waste into the environment. Ultimately, we want litter pressure to decrease, for example by reducing the number of litter-prone packaging on the market.
What does this indicator measure?
Out-of-home waste is the sum of the amount of litter cleared and waste correctly deposited in street bins, expressed in kilotonnes. The data were provided by OVAM.
